


Odd Man Out

by historicallyredacted (lockandkey)



Series: Odd Coupled [4]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Married Couple, Soulmates, dysfunctional couple fluff, it's just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 07:38:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19741165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockandkey/pseuds/historicallyredacted
Summary: Leo's been gone on business for 4 weeks.





	Odd Man Out

**Author's Note:**

> It's my birthday, and this is what I choose to write.  
> ...To be fair, last year on my birthday I wrote michael kahale/leo
> 
> just going through the romans one by one.
> 
> This is set after the last one shot, but before the dog one shot in this universe. All post main Odd Couple series.

  
  
“What the hell is that?” Was the first thing Leo said upon walking into Octavian’s office.   
  
“Hello to you too,” Octavian said, barely looking up from his paperwork. “The senate is voting on zoning issues regarding the building of a new housing development. With recent population expansion, we’re needing to build where we haven’t before. This is just the information that’d been assembled in regard to impact on local flora and fauna, as well as cost value.”

Leo dropped a big duffel bag, which let off a significant amount of dust and dirt onto the rug. The shorter man walked over, around the table, and stopped in front of Octavian.  
  
“Y’all know I’m not talking about the damn paperwork,” Leo grabbed his husbands chin, tilting it upwards. “What the hell is this?”  
  
“You know how much I love it when you say _y’all_.” Octavian sneered. So folksy. “Plus…it’s facial hair, obviously. Some of us are actually able to grow it.” Leo’s eyes narrowed, just a fraction.  
Between Hephaestus as a father, and a particularly hairy aunt, Leo was always rather miffed he seemed incapable of growing much in the way of body hair.   
Though, until today, he thought Octavian was in the same boat.  
  
“…We’ve been married for two years, we’ve been dating significantly longer, and not _once_ in that entire time have I _ever_ seen you with a full on beard. Stubble, occasionally, sure, when we’re away from shit. But never… _this_.”   
Octavian felt his head tipped slightly side to side, for Leo to inspect back and forth.   
  
“I’m Italian. I shave,” Octavian said, with a small shrug. “I suppose…I simply forgot.”

“ _You_. Forgot? You, Octavian Gallo. _Forgot_? You spend more time on your hair than I do.”   
  
“That’s not saying anything. It’s not that big of a beard anyway-“ Leo slammed his hand over Octavian’s mouth, eyes wide, before he shoved the chair Octavian was sitting in backwards away from the desk.   
  
“Oh my gods… are you wearing your _pajamas_? It’s 5pm!” Leo pulled him into standing position, so he could walk around and inspect. “What is happening? This is _so_ weird. Are you going through something right now?”  
  
“Didn’t you just spend the last four weeks in Chicago working on the new camp? This can’t be significantly stranger than any of your colleagues. It’s facial hair and clothes. You’re overreacting.” Octavian said it flippantly, too flippantly. It was suspicious.  
  
Leo stared at him intently, quietly for just a minute. Octavian could practically hear the gears moving in his brain, piecing things together. He was watching Octavian like a machine, to be taken apart in his head.  
“…..Did you order _take out_?”  
  
Octavian blanched. “No, of course not. Why would I? It’s disgusting. You know I hate it.”  
  
Leo nodded, and nodded again. “Sure. Okay. Then why do I see a hamburger wrapper in your trash bin, right this very moment? Burger Pixies? Pickle Elves?”  
  
Octavian purposely didn’t meet his eyes. “I…had company over. They… must have left it there.” Leo tilted his head. That wouldn’t work.  
“…I’m cheating on you, there I said it. I love you, I’m sorry, it was a mistake. Now, we can go on with our lives.”  
  
“…Are you _really_ pretending to have cheated on me to hide the fact you ate McDonald's?” Leo’s voice was monotone. “Is that what we’re doing now? Really Tav?”

“…Yes?”   
  
Leo hummed, nodding. “What’s his name?”  
  
“….Ma..tthew.”

“Believable. That’s a human name, definitely. Good job, you didn’t go with Yort. Last name?”  
  
“…Matthew…Damon?” Why did that sound familiar?

“Matt Damon? Oh. My. God. I loved him in The Martian. How was he in the sack?” Leo feigned enthusiasm and a big grin, before it dropped off his face entirely. “You want to try a new one? Maybe not a famous actor this time?”   
  
Octavian shook his head just barely, mumbling out a ‘no’.   
“Great. So, I’ve been gone for four weeks. Why did you turn into a _hermit_ and start eating burgers?”

“It’s not like that,” Octavian huffed, looking at the floor. “I…simply wondered what it would be like, I’ve always been clean shaven. I thought it might look more… _mature_. Then, while out, I associated with… individuals I’m familiar with. That's all.”  
  
“So…Translation: you got _bored_ , and you went out to eat with some friends…Wait.” Octavian watched as realization hit Leo, flinching away just slightly. “Wait…Hold up. Did you go out to eat with _Nico and Will_?” Leo asked, starting to look highly amused and far too pleased with himself, which was never good.

“Yes, well, William is my half brother. We’re…family. We sometimes work together in regard to town matters.” Octavian glared. “Am I not allowed?”  
  
“You’ve only ever complained about them and you sounded a bit sick just saying that right this second… but sure, you’re allowed to eat McDonald's with whomever you want, baby.” Leo said in an overly condescending voice.   
“The question is… why now?”   
  
“…We’ve been living together in New Rome for years. We travel together. We've...done everything together.” Octavian admitted, quietly. “In the last 2 years, the longest you’ve ever been away from me has been 5 days. In the last year, the longest you’ve been gone has been a day and a half.”  
  
Leo’s eyes got big, and his mouth dropped in a gape. “…. You _missed_ me? That’s why? Oh my god, wait, no. Am _I_ your impulse control now? Oh, baby, no, that’s not good. My brain is five ferrets in a slinky tube.”  
  
Octavian said nothing, waiting for Leo’s amusement to die down. He wanted to argue it, but…  
“…Didn’t you…miss me?”  
  
Leo’s shoulders fell, and he got that annoyingly fond look on his face. He got close enough to rest his forehead on Octavian's chest. “Of course I did…which is why I…sort of spied on you.”  
  
Octavian shoved him away, and then glared down at the man. “You _what_?! You _spied_ on me?”  
  
“Just…just a…lil itty bitty bit?” Leo held his fingers close together. “I didn’t intend to do it, to be fair. It was just already a part of the security system. I got an alert one night, after about a week. I really missed you, and I was getting paranoid…so I checked the cameras I have set up. And, there you were….drinking milk out of the carton. Like an absolute monster. I’ve never wanted to kiss you more.” Leo reached up and patted Octavian’s cheek. “Sorry. Really. I swear I didn’t creep on you all the time or anything. Just…you know, when I was falling asleep. I missed seeing your dumb face.”  
  
Octavian was still (mostly) not swayed. “So, you knew the entire time that I grew a beard. You just wanted me to admit I missed you?” Leo looked sheepish, and shrugged a shoulder.  
  
“ _No_ , I mean… _Yeeah_? I couldn’t call you or anything! We were radio silence underground! I couldn't contact you officially. Look, I’m sorry.”   
Octavian huffed. He’d never admit it, he couldn’t stay mad long, because he’d spent numerous hours trying to see Leo through visions, and in trances. It had worked a good number of times, and watching Leo get dirty and greasy while entirely enraptured on a project was always something Octavian enjoyed watching.  
  
“You know…” Leo started slowly, voice just slightly sing song. “I gotta admit, the stubble phase was cute…but I’m not _loving_ the beard. Though…I am curious to see how it feels between my legs.”  
  
Octavian shoved the paperwork off his desk. It had been _four_ weeks.

**Author's Note:**

> god they're dumb
> 
> I love all three of you reading this.


End file.
